1. Field
The present invention relates to a chemical separations method for processing a nuclear fuel.
2. Description of Related Art
After a reactor accident, efforts are typically made to have the reactor core reprocessed and/or placed in interim storage. However, the mitigation of the reactor accident may be complicated by the introduction of foreign materials. For instance, in the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, seawater was used in an attempt to cool the reactors. As a consequence of the use of seawater, sea salts were deposited in the reactors. Accordingly, a conventional facility for subsequently processing the melted fuel may be damaged or degraded by the presence of the sea salts. Furthermore, the integrity of metal containers intended for subsequently storing the recovered fuel from the reactor core may be compromised by the corrosive action of the sea salts.